Feeding Your Neopet Healthfully On A Budget

Neopets need to eat, just as we humans do. They will eat almost anything from the basic omelettes and jellies (Wait, jellies? Where’d they come from? *shifty eyes at Meepit lurking in a corner*) to the more expensive and lavish treats such as one might find at Kelp, or the Golden Dubloon. While the food at these extravagant restaurants may be quite pleasing to your pet’s palate, it certainly isn’t very pleasing to your pocketbook—especially if you have multiple pets, such as I do. For a family of four to dine at Kelp, for example, it would cost 28,000 Neopoints, assuming that everyone just ordered the cheapest drinks! Well, that’s certainly no fun. Who wants to go to Kelp for 28,000 Neopoints and only get a drink? Once everyone’s ordered entrees, appetizers, desserts, etc., you could very easily have a bill of 200,000 Neopoints—or more!—to pay, only to have everyone be hungry again the next day, just as hungry as they would have been if they had been fed cheaper food.

However, that’s not to say that I advocate stuffing your pets’ faces with omelettes, baked beans, and Dandelion Burdock Juice ‘till they burst—no way! To put it this way, how would you feel if you had to eat stale cornflakes, bruised apples, and burned cookies every day? You certainly wouldn’t enjoy it very much, not to mention you’d have very little variety—you’d be eating the same gross food every day, again and again and again. Also, when you feed your pets these cheap things time and time again, sure it’ll fill their bellies up, but they won’t be getting the nutrients they need to stay healthy and strong.

So what do I do, then? You might ask. Well, the answer is this: find a happy medium. You want to be able to feed your Neopets tasty, fresh, and healthy food that you know they’ll eat, but without depleting your bank account and hard-earned Neopoints. Well, never fear, for here is where this guide comes in to help you!

All of the foods listed below are 1500 Neopoints or less, taste-tested and approved by all of my pets, delicious, nutritious, and most of all, AFFORDABLE. Never again will your pet have to suffer through another bite of greasy omelette or gorge on overpriced food at Kelp that leaves you penniless. Never again will your grocery bill for the month make you run away, screaming in terror.

So are you ready to start feeding your Neopet on a budget? Are you ready to make mealtimes an experience that both of you can enjoy? You are? Well, okay then! Let’s get to it!

1) Kau Kau Farm Milk. Pets love the smooth, creamy, delicious flavor of Kau Kau Farm Milk, and we love the fact that it’s conveniently available at the General Stores, 24/7, seven days a week, for one super-low price of 281 Neopoints. Plus, it’s got lots of calcium and vitamin D to support strong, healthy bones. Yummy!

2) Orange Juice. It’s sweet, tangy, juicy, and loved by pets all over Neopia—not to mention it’s got tons of vitamin C and goes great with almost any breakfast item. Unless you buy it in August, when the price inflates slightly because people want it for the Chef Bonju avatar, it’s low-priced as well at only about 550 Neopoints!

3) Cheese. Rich, thick, chewy—good. It goes great with tons of things, pets love it, it’s perfect for a snack, and it’s got plenty of good fat and other important vitamins to keep your pet’s mind working in tip-top shape! Could it get any better? Oh, yes, it could. One hunk of cheese is only 1300 Neopoints.

4) Raw Potato. Slit ‘em, pop ‘em in your microwave (or whatever kitchen appliance suits your fancy) for a few minutes, melt some cheese on ‘em, and—voila!—you have a complete, delicious, and healthy meal in minutes. I have not met one pet in Neopia that won’t eat or doesn’t like potatoes! They’re dirt cheap, too, at only around 70 Neopoints a tuber—no pun intended!

5) Deli Turkey Slices. What’s a pet’s lunch without a good ol’ turkey sandwich? Deli turkey’s yummy, fun to eat, packed with protein and super-low in fat, and has an incredibly low price tag of only 200 Neopoints! Pass the turkey, please!

6) Pineapple. Sure, it makes a mess, but it’s sooo worth it! Great in smoothies, desserts, or just alone as a snack or a complement to a meal, pineapple, with its succulent, sweet, and hardy nature won’t fail to make your pets smile. You’ll be smiling too when you know that pineapple is chock-full of antioxidants—but not full of price, for one pineapple is approximately 500 Neopoints. Sweet.

7) Garlic Bread Halves. Two words—utter yumminess. What pet could resist the smooth, spicy, buttery texture of these bakery delicacies? True, it may have butter and be a bit fatty for your tastes, but, all things considered, a bit of butter won’t hurt your pet, and to take it away completely ruins the flavor of these traditional goodies. So go ahead. Indulge your pet—without spending half of your savings. Garlic Bread Halves are approximately 700 Neopoints, so you don’t have to think twice before letting your pet chomp away.

8) Beefy Broccoli. Pair the tender and chewy texture of home style lean beef with the yummy taste of fresh, crisp broccoli, and you’ve got a tasty and healthy treat for your pet. To add even more flavor, melt some cheese over the dish, stir, and let your pet dig in. This will be sure to become a favourite in your kitchen, and, best of all, it’s super-affordable too, at only 200 Neopoints a serving.

9) Grilled Chicken Sandwiches. They have a fraction of the fat of greasy, fried omelettes, and certainly taste much better as well! Your pet will love the savory, hand-grilled chicken, and will also love the chewy and soft bun that it’s served on. Best of all, one sandwich is about 1200 Neopoints. Grill the chicken—not the Neopoints.

10) Plain Oatmeal. It’s smooth, creamy, warm, and filling, not to mention how jam-packed with nutrients it is and how it tastes when you add a little sugar and butter to it! Serve it with a glass of Kau Kau Farm Milk, and some Orange Juice for a balanced and great-tasting breakfast that’ll keep your Neopet happy all day long. When you know it’s only about 1000 Neopoints a bowl, you’ll be happy, too.

11) Mint Ice Cream. After a long day on the Beach in Mystery Island, playing Mynci Beach Volleyball, sunbathing, and taking Tiki Tours, your Neopet will probably be hungry. Well, what better way to end a fantastic day than to give them a scoop of Mint Ice Cream for dessert? It’s rich, creamy, sweet, and oh-so-good, and, as far as ice creams go, it’s fairly low in fat, too. Oh, and did I forget to mention it’s only 350 Neopoints a cone? Mmmmmm!

12) Organic Dark Chocolate. Who can resist a square of delicious, thick, savory, and melta-licious dark chocolate, especially if it’s organic? Oh, yeah, that’s right—no one! This applies to Neopets, too—once they’ve had a taste, they’ll be begging you for more! You can feel good giving this to your pets, though, for it’s got loads of antioxidants, and a lot more vitamins and less fat than regular milk chocolate. Still, don’t give too much of this economical, environmentally-friendly treat to your pets—otherwise they might end up with a dark bellyache! One block of Organic Dark Chocolate is about 450 Neopoints.

I hope this guide has helped you to find a good balance between ultra-expensive and super-cheap food, along with peace, healthiness, and happiness when meals roll along. Remember, just because you’re on a budget doesn’t mean you have to go down the blah route for dinnertime! Enjoy the healthy and affordable food. Yours truly, skiing_faerie.

NOTE: Prices are subject to change. These prices were all found using the Shop Wizard, and are current as of May 30th, 2011 (5/30/11). These are not exact prices, either—prices may vary from store to store. The numbers expressed show the average price displayed by many Shop Wizard refreshings.

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